Amongst the highlights of Lee Mazzilli’s playing profession was hitting a property operate in the 1979 All-Star Match with his previous Mets teammate Tom Seaver in the booth as a visitor announcer for NBC.
“I’ve obtained the tape of it and [Seaver] was the one particular conversing about me,” Mazzilli stated Thursday. “That was so cool, Seaver stating good matters about me.”
Mazzilli’s feelings will be with the Seaver loved ones Friday, when the Mets unveil a statue in the Hall of Fame pitcher’s honor outdoors Citi Industry before the dwelling opener towards the Diamondbacks.
The Brooklyn indigenous Mazzilli debuted with the Mets in 1976 and used the conclusion of that season and part of the up coming as Seaver’s teammate, a stretch in which the appropriate-hander was nonetheless among the the game’s most dominant pitchers. The two became buddies and remained in contact after their respective actively playing careers concluded.
“I’m thrilled for Tom’s family members,” Mazzilli reported. “The a person downside to this, that statue should have been there when he was alive. I could just see him cackling — he experienced that cackle, you know — and I could just see him laughing with that minimal cackle when they unveiled it.”
Mazzilli credited Seaver for instructing him about hitting.
“I discovered a good deal about hitting from him, indicating how he would pitch hitters,” Mazzilli explained. “How he would set up hitters. What he would do early in a match as opposed to late in a recreation with specific hitters. It was fascinating. Individuals are the matters I cherish.”
Mazzilli recalled the last conversation he experienced with Seaver, a person or two yrs right before the previous pitcher’s death in August 2020. Seaver at the time was battling dementia.
“I genuinely termed him to thank him for what he did for me,” Mazzilli said. “I explained, ‘Tommy I just want to call you and thank you for anything and when I arrived up how significantly you taught me about the sport and his solution was, ‘Are you kidding me? That was enjoyable. We experienced enjoyment.’
“When I got off the cellular phone I felt so considerably improved that I got to talk to him and I felt like it was excellent medication for him at that time. It was a bizarre experience. It was fantastic medication and it was terrific for me. That mobile phone connect with meant a lot to me and just by listening to him and the way he was talking, he just acquired a kick talking about stuff.”
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